Champion trainer Aidan O’Brien fired an ominous shot across the bows on the eve of today’s Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe by saddling a Saturday four-timer at ParisLongchamp.
The master of Ballydoyle is launching a twin assault on Europe’s most prestigious middle-distance contest today , with the well-fancied Los Angeles and stablemate Continuous bidding to provide O’Brien with a third Arc success following the previous triumphs of Dylan Thomas in 2007 and Found in 2016.
“The ground is plenty soft – it’s plenty slow with a lot of moisture in it.When we landed I was kind of half-sorry for taking out Auguste Rodin, but when I walked out on the track I’d say it was yielding Irish ground/good to soft English ground. Ryan (Moore) says it’s plenty soft and he was very happy that it was the right thing,” he said.
O’Brien’s Los Angeles looks the stable elect (Pic – Coolmore)
“Los Angeles and Continuous shouldn’t mind it. Los Angeles is in good form and everything has gone well with him since last run.We’ve been very happy with Los Angeles since the Irish Champion Stakes. We were hoping if he finished in the first four that would be good enough to run in the Arc and that’s what he did.
“After the Irish Derby we knew Los Angeles could be a Leger horse, but we had other horses for that as well so we started to think of the Arc then.
“We went to York to get a run into him when he won with a penalty over a mile and a half and we came back to a mile and a quarter after that. It’s been the plan for a long time with him.”
O’Brien also runs Continuous, who will be the mount of Christophe Soumillon after horse and jockey teamed up to finish third in the Prix Foy over course and distance last time out.
He added of his other runner, who was fifth in 2023: “Continuous is the same, the last day wasn’t ideal as he would have preferred not to make the running, but it was only a trial and he needed that race and he’ll be better taking his time.
“We’ve trained him with an autumn campaign in mind. Last year it was a slowly run race but we were happy with his run, we always had it in mind that he would be better this year and hopefully prepare better for the race.”
The all-conquering team got day one of the meeting off to a flying start yesterday as Illinois ran out a determined winner of the Qatar Prix Chaudenay and soon doubled up, with the remarkable Kyprios continuing his domination of the staying division by reclaiming his crown in the Prix du Cadran.
The hat-trick was brought up by Mount Kilimanjaro (9-4 favourite) in the €260,000 Arqana Series – Haras de Bouquetot Criterium d’Automne before 25-1 shot Grateful rounded off an excellent afternoon’s work with a Group One triumph in the Qatar Prix de Royallieu.
O’Brien told Racing TV: “It’s been an incredible day – a day like today, how can you believe it or think it? It’s wonderful really, unbelievable and very special.”
- The Arc will be shown on Gallop TV – off time is 16h20.
